Project director: Deniz Güvensoy

Workshops & concept: Sezer Dilan Zirhli

Team : Güneş Doğan, Laurus Edelbacher, Paulina Flores, Sarah Wilhelmy, // Contributors : Jelena Micić, Iva Markovic, Anna Watzinger, Berenice Pahl, Marina Leo Shamov, Zeynab Kirikou Gueye, Leo Lisa Begeré, Belen Mono // Guest tutors: Ana Castro V., Viktoria Ratasich, Participants: Ada Akkaya • Ana Castro V. • Anna Gersh • Anna Watzinger • Annette Hexelschneider • Antonia Schröter • Astrid Villegas • AuPair-Repair • Choon Ai Rican • Crisfor • Daria Vorobeva • Deniz Güvensoy • Derya Schubert Gülcehre • Echo Foidl • Elizabeth Martinez • Esin Akkaya • Funda Mücük • Gabi Kozderova • Gabriela Urrutia Reyes/Solesur • Gertraud Weiss • Hannah Nalani Schutti • Iris Draxler • Jay Reiseneder • Jelena Micić • Julia Strikovska • Kristina Ford • Laleh Azizi • Lata Krammer • Lea Soyza • Lena Violetta Leitner • Leo Lisa Begeré • Lorena Salamanca • Melissa Singh • Merve Akyel • María Mercedes Agudelo • Mariam Malik • Neff Jelinek • Nuray Ammicht • Olivera Drazenovic • Pavitra Thottakara • Sara Rasoly • Semra Şık • Sezer Dilan Zırhlı • Sona Jafari Nasab • Sophia Obetzhofer • Stefanie Weisz • Susana Ojeda • Una Steiner • Valentina Zavoli • Viktoria Ratasich

“The Golden Book” results from the essentially fragmented identities of women* who appear as a whole in official records. Every subdivision such as “worker, friend, lover, active politician, artist, housewife, mother”, is fragmented. We should endeavor to keep these subdivisions separated, but when this fails, something new emerges from the chaos of formlessness: the Golden Book!

To explore this fragmentation, we organized four workshops in the summer of 2023 to create a photocopy magazine. The participants were between 12 and 75 years old. Fifty women* from different social classes, nationalities, and ages responded to our call. No previous knowledge of art was required, just the will to create something. Supported by guest tutors, we introduced them to different techniques such as sewing, mixed media, creative expression exercises, and the Herta Müller text collage technique.

The zine, entitled “The Golden Book”, is the result of a collective effort by women* and FLINTA to explore professional, personal, and social aspects of their identity. The project culminated in a celebratory closing event with artworks, performances, and discussions. The documented workshop journey and the final publication of the zine were presented.

The Golden Book is a cultural project funded by SHIFT, Basis Kultur Wien and organized by Fabrikraum Kultur und Kunstverein.

www.dasgoldenebuch.org